The Glennie School

A True Partnership Approach

The Glennie was looking for a hybrid model to meet its needs. They wanted the best technology solution in addition to a local service offering that would support its notebooks, desktops and IT infrastructure.

“The students rely heavily upon their notebooks as the use of technology is integrated across all their subjects, so to be without their notebook computer can certainly be a problem for them,” said Tony Crewe, Head of Information Technology, The Glennie School.

It was also essential that the notebooks were robust enough to survive the rigors of daily school life, while lightweight enough to be carried around by students as young as 10.

After a thorough tendering and selection process, the offering put forward by Acer and e-computing was selected due to the lightweight, sturdy functionality of the Acer notebooks and the local touch and service promise of e-Computing.

The partnership has ensured The Glennie has the best of both worlds, with the backing of a major vendor and the local resources of e-Computing. The implementation was very successful and The Glennie now relies solely on Acer and e-computing for its notebook, desktop and IT infrastructure needs. The school operates around 400 notebooks, 180 desktops and eight servers.

Sturdy Reliable Technology

Tony Crewe says, “The key for us is that the notebooks spend the majority of their time where they are supposed to be – in the hands of students. e-computing holds a stock of spares at its Toowoomba base and has a 24-hour turnaround policy on all repairs . This ensures our pupils have access to their computers at all times. In addition to this the Acer product is of good quality so there has been far fewer service and repair needs overall.”

Support and Expertise

Technology is used to enhance the curriculum, not dominate it, Students have their own dedicated email address, network storage and work submission areas. Work is submitted in soft copy at any time. “Acer and e-Computing possess a level of expertise in specialist areas that we don’t have. They helped us deploy and manage a school wide wireless network that provides students with ‘anywhere, anytime’ access to the resources they need,” continues Tony Crewe.

“e-Computing are fantastic as they let us stay in control but help us out when and where we need it. If we experience difficulties they are on site to sort them out in no time. We trust them not to lead us astray.”

Education Specialists

Acer has developed robust solutions that stand up well in the educational environment where the notebooks receive constant knocks and bangs. They provide the stability and reliability that The Glennie requires and have worked with the technology to get it right. Tony Crewe concludes, “Acer ensures that e-Computing has access to the resources it needs to meet the needs of the school. Acer understands the needs of the education sector and is unique in its approach to address these.”

Peter Meyer, Account Manager, e-Computing comments, “Working with people who understand technology leads to good working relationships. The Glennie is just such a case where it focuses on the curriculum and we assist in the backend technology to ensure that it is available to them.”